More museums add their voices for evolution

The chorus of support for the teaching of evolution continues, with statements from the Australian Museum, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the Museum of the Earth.

The statement from the Australian Museum reads, in its entirety, "The Australian Museum supports the teaching of evolution as the scientifically tested and verifiable theory for the origin and development of all species on Earth. In doing so, the Australian Museum's position is that creationism or intelligent design should not be taught as part of the science curriculum."

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's statement explains (PDF), "Evolution is a central concept in modern science," and adds, "Because understanding evolution is important for both scientists and the public, the Natural History Museum emphasizes that evolutionary biology belongs in school curricula and textbooks as well as in public museums."

And the statement from the Museum of the Earth (in Ithaca, New York) emphasizes that "essentially all qualified scientists fully endorse the idea that all organisms on earth share a common ancestry and that life's unfolding has encompassed billions of years of time. Evolution is one of the cornerstones of modern science, and is therefore one of the key elements of our institutional mission."

All three of these statements are now reproduced, by permission, on NCSE's website, and will also be contained in the fourth edition of NCSE's Voices for Evolution.